Senior Staff

Mark A. Black, a native of Alliance, Ohio, is the proud father of two beautiful children: Desaray Black, a sophomore at Kent State University, and Xavier Black, a fourth-grader at Taft Elementary School. Mark received a Bachelor of Science in Education from Mount Union College, a Master of Education from The University of Akron and his principal's license from Ashland University.

Mr. Black brings nearly 14 years of experience in the field of education. He began his career as a middle school science teacher in Massillon City Schools and then Akron Public Schools. He transitioned into administrative roles at McKinley Senior High School and GlenOak High School. He served as an assistant principal and small schools principal at GlenOak. Most recently, Mr. Black served as the director of high school projects at Battelle for Kids (BFK). At BFK, he oversaw high school transformation initiatives related to the Ohio Value-Added High Schools (OVAHS) project. Mr. Black and the OVAHS team supported 96 high schools in their endeavor to create college- and career-ready opportunities, build staff capacity, and increase rigor in the curriculum.